Sewing-machine driving mechanism



July 10, 1923. HASLOSS WELKER, JR

SEWING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 4. 1921 2 $heebs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

EMWMM BY CS2 MM A TTORNE Y.

July 10, 1923.

L. WELKER, JR

SEWING MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM Filed April 4. 1921 2 Shawhs-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 MM).

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 10, 1923.

LOUIS wELKEn, .13., or WILLIAMSPORT,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NEW HOME SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE DRIVING MECHANISM.

Application filed April 4,

To all w 700m it may concern i Be it known that I, LOUIS WVELKER, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and resident of lVilliamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machine Driving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

' 1 This invention relates primarily to sewing machine driving mechanism for use in connection with asewing machine mounted on a 1 so-called drop-head stand or cabinet, where the sewing machine head is adaptedto be shifted from an operative or sewing posi tion above the table top of the stand when in use, to an inoperative position below the same when not in use.

' The usual form of driving mechanism for foot-operated machines, as well known, comprises a large driving wheel mounted on the stand belowthe table top and having belt connection with the machine pulley, and an operating foot-treadle having a pitman connection witha crank fixed to the driving wheel for imparting rotary movement to the later. With such-combination of parts, the driving wheel and the machine pulley are of'course in vertical alignment with each other when the machine in use, and in order to permit of the lowering of the machine below the table without contactwith the driving wheel, some provision has been made to shift the machine to one side of the vertical plane of the driving Wheel before or during the lowering ofthe same. The

means providing for such lateral shifting of the machine, however, has been more or less complicated and expensive, and it has therefore been an object ofmy'present invention toprovide an improvedmeans for permitting of the raising or lowering of themachine without interference with the driving wheel that will be both simple and inexpensivef Thisob'jecuand others to be hereinafter referred to, are attained by the novel features of construction'an'd combination of parts embodying my invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a front elevation of a sewing machine stand orc'abinet equipped with my invention, the same being closed and the machine head and operating parts therefor beinglocated intheir inoperative positions.

,Fig. 2 is atop' plan of the same with the 1921. Serial No. 458,182.

stand opened and the machine in raised position for use.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 41 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail, the section being taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, showing a hinged door section forming part of the front panel of the stand.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, with theparts partly broken away and in section, showing the adjustable connection of the driving wheel with its supporting crank shaft.

To explain in detail, the stand or cabinet here shown upon which the machine and its operating parts are mounted comprises four supporting legs, each indicated at 2, having a table top 3 formed with an opening 4 for the passage of the machine, and an extension leaf 5 hinged at one end to said table 3, as at 6, and adapted to be folded .over the latter to close the opening therein when the machine is not in use, as shown in Fig. l.

The machine 7 is hinged to the table 3 at the rear edge of the opening 1, as indicated at 8-8, and is supported at its front edge when in raised position on brackets 9, 9, secured to the under sideof a hinged table section 10, which latter is adapted to be raised, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit of the lowering of the machine below the table.

The machine 7 is provided with the usual grooved pulleyll which is adapted to be driven through a belt 12 from a driving wheel 14: supported below the table 3. This wheel 14, in the present case, is mounted on a crank shaft 15 which is journaled at its opposite ends in bearings 16 and 17- suitably attached to the stand. In accordance with my invention, the shaft 15 is made of suflicient length to permit of the wheel 14 being adjusted lengthwise thereof from an operative driving position in alignment with the machine pulley, as shown by full lines in Fig. 4., to an inoperative position at one side of the vertical path of movement of the machine when being lowered from operative to inoperative position, as indicated bydotted lines in Fig. 4-. This lateral adjustment" of the driving wheel with respect to the path of movement of; the machine penmits oh the use of" a simple hinge connection betweeir the machine and table, thus obviating. the needof the somewhat involvedv and more expensive means usuallyemployed' for effectinq" the lateral shifting of the machine with respect to the driving wheel.

The driving wheel has a splined connection with the crank shaft, as clearly indicated at 18 in Fig. 6, for permitting of its sliding adjustment, and is adapted to be secured in itsoperative position thereon by a suitable fastening device, suclr as the spring-pressed pin 19 carried by the hub of the wheel for engagement witlr the shaft within a hole 20 therein. The crank shaft and connected driving wheel are adaptedl to be operated in usual manner from a pivoted fOot-treadleQ-l onthe base of the stand: through a connecting pit-man rod 22;

In some instances: it may be desired to operate the machine by power rather than by the manual means described. For this purpose I provide an electric motor of usual construction, as indicated generally by dotted lines at 28,which is pivotally mounted at 29 on a bracket 30 for movement to and from. an: operative position with its shaft pulley 31': in driving engagement" with the machine pulley, as=shown in Fig. 8-; In

t'erposed in: the electric circuit of this motor is a rheostat, indicated diagrammatically at-3E2, the controller 3301? which is adapted? to be operated: from the; treadle 21 through.

achaiin or. similar flexible-connection 34 operating over a' guide wheel 35, the move ment of' the controller as effected by the tread'le for regulating the speed; of? the: mo:-

1301 being against the", tension of a spring 36,: which latter connects at one end with the controller and" at its opposite end with aa staple 37' or other'fixed part; of the stand, as shown' in Fig l.

heir the machine 1s to be operated by the motor, the driving wheel 14 and its crank willi of. course be disconnected from the trea-dle so as to allow of independent operation of; the treadle in its control of tllGflIlOilOIi through the rheostat 321. This is provided forv by making the pitman 22- in two sections and detachably connecting them at their adjacent endsby. a sleeve 38- fixed on one section and detachably connected to theend' of" the other section bya suit able fastening device, such as the screw. 39, By loosening this: screw 39; a lowering of the) treadle or araising of: the crank will; act to withdraw one pitman: section in an BIKlWlSBT direction from connection with the otherand: so; permit of the treadle being employed to regulate; the electric; current through; the rheostat without causing; operationofthedriving wheel. On theother hand, When thedriving wheel is to. be used mit of ready access to; the; enclosed part; of

the stand and also: to. a. tool or: other receptacle, suclr as 47, attached to the inner sideof the panel}. A- catclr. device 48 serves: to: normally hold this; hinged; panel in; closed posit-ion, as best shown in Fig. 5; A partition 49,; extending from the front to the rear psi-nel-,1partly at: an inclines as shown. in Fig. 3, serveeto' enclosethemachiner from the; under side thereofi A chamber on re.-

ceptacle: 50, formed between. this: partition:

49 and the; rear panel: 45:, contains-the; rheor stat 32.

In order that the: trea-dle, as well as the machine, may becovered from: v1ew when:

the, machine. is, not in use, I also provide a shelf 51 for location directly over the treadle, as; shown: in Fig. 1-. This; shelfis hinged to the rear legs of the stand, as;

at 53, to permit of its being swung; backward to expose the. treadle whenthe machineis to beused, and is here. shown- (-see. F1g. 3) as; being formed in two section's:v

hinged together to permit of, its: being: p.ar--

tia'lly, collapsed for backwardmovement. in;

the: somewhat limited space: below? the pan? eled onenclosedi part ofgthe. standi, Astrip or 016M154; on the. underv side of the; shelf,

at the: front: edgev thereof has laterally pro,- ectingends 55} which engagez with. the rear legs to limit thez backward movement. of theshelf, as; shown incFig:

-When the-machine is in" lowered position; and the: upper extension leaf 5 and? lowershelf 51 are both placed" in; closed positions, the machine and its operating; parts; are: fill?" 1y covered. from view, as, will be clear by reference to; Fig. 1, whereby the stand or cabinet becomes an, attractivea-rticle.ofi fur; niture without any indication of its real purpose as a support for a? sewing machine and its operating mechanism.

What-I claimisr 1'. In combination, a sewing nachine stand; having a tabletop,a-isewingmaehine having; a, driving pulley, means supporting said machine for movement from an,- operative position above, the table toan inoperativepositiou below the same, ,a driving Wheel and support therefor. helowthe: table, the-driving wheel. being laterally. adjustablaon its: sup,- port from a drivingposition in alignment with the machinev pulley when, the; machine is: raised to an inoperative,- position, at one side of the pulley when the machine is being lowered, a driving connection from the driving wheel to the machine pulley, and operating means for the driving wheel.

2. In combination, a sewing machine stand having a table top, a sewing machine having a driving pulley and being hinged to said table for swinging movement in a vertical plane from an operative position above the table to an inoperative position below the same, a driving wheel and support thereof below the table, the driving wheel being laterally adjustable on its support from a driving position in alignment with the machine pulley when the machine is raised to an inoperative position at one side of the path of movement of the machine pulley when the machine is being lowered, a driving connec tion from the driving wheel to the machine pulley, and operating means for the driving wheel.

3. In combination, a sewing machine stand having a table top formed with an opening, a sewing machine having a driving pulley and being hinged to said table at one edge of the opening therein for swinging movement through the opening from an operative position above the table to an inoperative position below the same, a crank shaft mounted in hearings on the stand below the table, a driving wheel mounted on said crank shaft to be driven thereby and being laterally adjustable thereon from a driving position in alignment with the machine pulley when the machine is raised to an inoperative position at one side of the path of movement of the machine pulley when the machine is being lowered, means for adjustably securing the driving wheel in fixed connection with the crank shaft, a belt connection from the driving wheel to the machine pulley, a pivoted foot treadle, and a driving connection from said foot treadle to the crank shaft.

4. In combination, a sewing machine stand. a sewing machine and a driving crank therefor both supported by said stand, a foot treadle operatively connected with said driving crank, and a shelf for covering the treadle when the machine is not in use, said shelf being hinged to the stand at the rear thereof and formed in sections hinged together whereby it may be partially collapsed for backward movement in a limited space to a position to expose the treadle when the machine is to be used,

5. In combination, a sewing machine stand, a sewing machine and a driving crank therefor both supported by said stand, a foot treadle, a pitman connection from said treadle to the driving crank, said pitman connection being divided at a point between its ends and the sections thereof adjustably path of movement of the machine machine pulley,

connected together whereby the lower or treadle section may be disconnected from the crank section and dropped to a lowered position adjacent the treadle, and a shelf connected with the stand in position for covering the treadle and connected pitman section when the machine is not in use and being movable from such position to expose the treadle when the machine is to be used.

6. In combination, a sewing machine stand, a sewing machine mounted thereon and having a driving pulley, a driving wheel, a belt detachably connecting said wheel with the driving pulley, an electric motor having a pulley for driving engagement with the machine pulley and being movable to and from a position for effecting such engagement, a rheostat in the motor circuit having a controller arm, and a foot treadle having separate operative connections to the driving wheel and the rheostat controller, said connections each being detachable from the treadle to permit of the use of one independent of the other.

7. In combination, a sewing machine stand having a table top, a sewing machine having a driving pulley, means supporting said machine for movement from an operative position above the table to an inoperative position below the same, a driving wheel and support therefor below the table, the driving wheel being laterally adjustable on its support from a driving position in align ment with the machine pulley when the machine is raised to an inoperative position at one side of the path of movement of the machine pulley when the machine is being lowered, an electric motor adapted to be brought into driving engagement with the and a foot treadle having separate operative connections with the driving wheel and the motor, said connections each being detachable from the treadle to permit of the use of one independent of the other.

8. In a sewing machine of the class described the combination with a sewing machine stand, a sewing machine pulley mounted on said stand, a drive wheel adjustably supported below said sewing machine and adapted to be brought into vertical alignment with said drive pulley, a driving connection between said pulley and wheel, an electric motor adapted to be brought into driving engagement with said drive pulley, a foot treadle separately connected to said driving wheel and said motor, said connections each being detachable from the treadle to permit of the use of one independent of the other.

Signed at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, this 30th day of March, A. D. 1921.

LOUIS WELKER, Jr. 

